Poultry scalding machine



HI c. TRUEX ET AL POULTRY SCALDING MACHINE May 4%, 193?.

Filed May 13, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet l Inventor ZaaZz'e 03701075 May 4,1937.

H. c. TRUEX ET AL 2,079,307

POULTRY S CALDING MACHINE Filed May 13, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 15% P26; 6Trix/e22 ZGSZa'e flfirazrg A iiorney May 4, 1937.. H. c. TRUEX ET ALPOULTRY SCALDING MACHINE Filed May 15, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 InventorHarley 67 True/2 leaks 0570;072

May 4, 11937. H. c. TRUEX ET AL 2,079,307

POULTRY SCALDING MACHINE Filed May 13, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Inventor,

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50 tom declining inwardly at one end as at 6.

Patented May 4, 1937 PATENT OFFICE POULTRY SCALDING MACHINE Harley C.Truex and Leslie 0. Brown, Columbus, Ind.

Application May 13, 1929, Serial No. 362,640

1 Claim.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in machines forscalding poultry and more particularly to a machine on which the poultryis killed and immediately passed through the scalding operation,

The principal object of this invention is to provide a machine of thecharacter mentioned which, in use, will eliminate the necessity ofrequiring the services of three or four men for operating the machine asis now required in machines for this purpose with substantially the samecapacity.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a machine forscalding poultry whereon the poultry may be first suspended, then killedand passed through the scalding operation, so

that each piece of poultry will be treated uniformly.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine of the charactermentioned which will be semi-automatic in operation and wherein theparts will be positive acting and will not be susceptible to thedevelopment of frequent defects.

These and numerous other important objects of the invention will becomemore apparent to the reader after considering the invention as describedand claimed hereinafter.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 represents a side elevation of the machine.

Figure 2 represents a top plan view of the machine.

Figure 3 represents a vertical transverse sectional view looking towardone end of the machine.

5 Figure 4 represents a vertical transverse sectional view lookingtoward the opposite end of the machine.

Figure 5 is a side elevation of a carriage for supporting a piece ofpoultry.

Figure 6 represents an edge elevation of the carriage for supportingpoultry.

Figure 7 represents a vertical sectional View through one of thetransfer wheels of the machine.

Referring to the drawings, wherein like numerals designate like parts,it will be seen that the present invention includes an elongated tank 5of predetermined width, depth and extent and having substantiallyone-half portion of its bot- Numeral 1 denotes the water inlet, whilethe steam inlet is designated by numeral 8 and a drain pipe situatedbelow the aforementioned inlet is denoted by 9.

The tank 5 is supported at its intermediacy by legs l0, while legs H atthe corners of the tank support the same at its ends.

An endless track, generally referred to by numeral I2 is supported inoverlying respect to the tank and is of an encompassing area extendingbeyond the horizontal confines of the tank in all directions. The trackis disposed horizontally as at l3 from a point l4 to the point l5 toprovide a working place for the operator generally called the sticker orfiller who bleeds the fowl prior to the dipping of same in the tank,(see Figure 2) where the track bends as at It and from the point I! dipsdownwardly to the point [B (see Fig. 3), in close overlying proximity tothe tank 5 and extends longitudinally thereof to the point IS. Theportion of the track between the points l8 and I9 is designated bynumeral 20 and is substantially parallel to the horizontal portion ofthe track denoted by numeral 19 and this portion 20 is also parallel andco-planar with the portion 2i which continues the track from the pointl9 around the curved portion 22, to the point 23, where it inclinesupwardly to the point 24, from where it swerves outwardly beyond thesides of the tank (see Figure 3) and gradually declines on the curve 25to merge with the elongated inclined portion 26 to the point 21 where itstarts to incline sharply upwardly along the portion 28 to the curve 29where it merges with the horizontally declining portion 30 connectingthe curved portion 29 with the starting point l4.

At regular intervals, the track is supported by suitable braces 3|. Apair of posts 32-32 extend upwardly at opposite sides of the tank andadjacent the end thereof for generally supporting the vertically spaceddrive shafts 33 and 34. The upper drive shaft 33 projects beyond onepost 32, and is equipped with a sprocket wheel 35, while the lower shaft34 projects beyond the opposite post 32 and is equipped with a sprocketwheel 36. Pulleys 31 on the aforementioned drive shafts are connected bysuitable belts 38 to a power source.

Sprockets 39 and 40 are secured to the shaft 34 in spaced relation andat opposite sides of the geared transmission 4|, for actuating thecounter-shaft 42. The horizontally disposed sprocket 43 is secured tothe lower end of the counter shaft 42 in the manner shown in Figure 4.The wheel shown at 43 is provided with a plurality of radiating arms 44.

Secured to the same end of the tank 5 is an upright 45 which extendsabove the adjacent post 42 and has its upper end curved downwardly andoutwardly as at 46.

A shaft 41 is journaled between the end of the upright and its adjacentparallel portion and is equipped with a sprocket 48. A bracket 49 at theadjacent side of the tank supports a shaft 50 which has a sprocket 5|keyed thereto. An endless sprocket chain 52 is trained over the sprocketwheels 48 and 5| and is adapted to be driven by the sprocket 36 meshingtherewith.

The chain 52 carries a plurality of lugs 53 secured to its outer side atequally spaced intervals. As is clearly shown in Figure 1, the chain 52has its lower flight disposed in substantial parallelism with respect tothe inclined portion 28 of the track. At the same side of the tank 5 issecured a pair of uprights 5454, one of which is substantially shorterthan the other while an elongated bar 55 is secured in the inclinedposition shown in Figure 1, to the upper ends of the uprights 54-54, andat its lower end to the tank as at 56. The bar 55 serves as a brace forthe uprights, which uprights support stem 5'! and 58, the latter beinglower than the former, but both extending transversely of the tank andbeing suppOrted by corresponding posts 59 and 60 secured to the oppositeside of the tank. The upper shaft 51 carries sprockets 60' and GI, whilethe lower shaft carries sprockets 62, and 63. An endless chain 64 istrained over the sprockets 65, 62 and 40, the latter on shaft 34, (seeFigure 4) and the same is provided with a multiplicity of outwardlyprojecting lugs 55, at equally spaced intervals. The sprockets SI, 53and 39, the latter on shaft 34, are connected by a chain 65 disposedover the portion 20 of the track, while the chain 64 is disposed overthe portion 2| of the track. A sprocket 61 on the shaft 51 is locatedbeyond the horizontal confines of the track 5, while a chain 68 istrained over the pulleys 51 and 35, (the latter on shaft 34).

Lugs 69 are provided on the outside of the 6B is disposed completelyabove the horizontal chain 63 at equally spaced intervals. The chainportion l3 of the track. A bracket supports a vertical shaft H, which isinter-geared as at I2 with the shaft 51. The shaft 1| carries a wheel'73, from which radially project a plurality of arms 14. The wheel 13 isdisposed substantially concentrically with the curved portion iii of thetrack in a manner so that its arms 74 will sweep over said curvedportion of the track in substantially the same manner as will the arm 44of the wheel 43 sweep over the curved portion of the track. A pluralityof such carriers, as are shown in Figures 5 and 6 will be employed foruse in conjunction with the present machine Each carrier consists of aboss 15 having its upper portion bent outwardly as at 15 and downwardlyas at 11. A pin 18 interposed between the downwardly bent portion 11 andthe adjacent parallel portion of the bar 15 supports a grooved roller"I9. The bar 15 at its upper portion is substantially triangular shapedas shown in Figure 5 and at the lower converging portion thereof abracket 83 is secured for supporting a rotatable grooved roller Bl. Theupper rollers 19 are adapted to ride upon the top edge of the track [2,while the lower roller BI is adapted to engage the lower edge of thetrack.

The lower end of the bar 15 is twisted as at 82 and a plate 83 issecured transversely thereon. This plate 83 is provided with upwardlyextending and spaced fingers 84 which are disposed inv oblique relationwith respect to the bar 15. Between the outermost fingers 84 and theinnermost finger are to be positioned the legs of a fowl.

It will thus be seenthat when a carrier is positioned on the portion I3of the track which is beyond the side of the tank, a fowl suspendedtherefrom may be stuck for bleeding purposes and the carrier thenengaged with the chain 68 which will carry it to the wheel 13 from whereit will pass down the incline to the horizontal stretch 20, where theoperation of scalding the fowl is carried on. Owing to the fact thatsome fowls do not require as long periods as others for bleeding, thesticker or filler may put his stick at such places along the stretch oftracks between points l4 and 15 as experimenting may prove to be bestsuited to the weight and size of each fowl. The carrier finally comes tothe portion of the track where the fowl is removed by another operatorknown as the picker or fowl remover. The fowls are removed in the orderin which they pass through the tanks. After the fowl has been removedfrom a carrier, the latter is engaged with the conveyor chain 52 movesup the incline 28 to its starting position for refilling section 29 ofthe track where a third operator attaches another fowl to the carrier. Aplurality of these carriers may be arranged on the portion 29 of thetrack and moved on to the sticker in successive order.

While the foregoing description has been in definite terms it is to beunderstood that numerous changes in the specific shape, size andmaterials may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit andscope of the invention as claimed hereinafter.

What is claimed is:

A poultry scalding machine comprising a hot water tank, an endless trackarranged horizontally above said tank, said track having an outerU-shaped portion disposed without the confines of the tank, and an innerU-shaped portion overlying the surface of said tankywith the sides ofsaid inner U-shaped track portion lying in vertical planes substantiallyparallel to the sides of the outer U-shapedtrack portion, and also atthe open end of the U being bent upwardly and reversely to merge withthe sides of the outer U-shaped track portion exteriorly of the tank andadjacent one end of the latter; a fowl carrier movable on said track,means arranged adjacent to portions of said track for moving the fowlcarrier, said means including endless chains having lugs thereon toengage the fowl carrier for moving the latter over elongated portions ofsaid track, and. wheels with arms engaging the fowl carrier to move thelatter around the curves at the ends of the track; and means forsupporting said fowl carrier-impelling chains, wheels, and track on thetank.

HARLEY C. TRUEX. LESLIE 0. BROWN.

